Grease retainer



, l 638,37 Aug 9 1927 w. L. TRAUTNER 8 GREASE RETAINER Filed April 16, 1925 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I.. TBAUTNEB, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

GREASE RETAINER.

Application mea Aprn 1e, l1925. serial No'. 23,591.

This invention relates to grease retainers for vehicle wheel hubs.

The object'of the invention is to so construct a retainer of this character that when 5 the rollers and shaft becomefivornthe parts are tightened to provide an oi'l'tight joint at all times.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description l proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the 1nvention herein disclosed ma be made within the'scope of what is claime without departin from the spirit of the invention.

n the accompanying drawin s:-

Figure l1 represents a longitu mal section 20 of an axle housing with the axle shownm 'elevation Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fi 4 is a detail perspective view showing t e means for connecting the clamping band. u

i In ythe embodiment illustrated an axle housingl is shown Aequipped with the usual 30 roller bearings 2 on the front ends of which is; mounted a cup-shaped heavy leather washer 20 which is secured to the ends of the housing 3 by means of a clamping ring. 5. This ring 5 1s composed of two metal strlps 6 and 10 superposed one on the other and each rovided at one end with a laterally exten ing apertured ear or lug 7 and 12 `respectively throu hwhich is deslgned to be passed a tightemn bolt 13 equipped with the usual nuts for' olding it in adjusted position. .v

The stri s gwe will term the outer strip is provided at the end opposite that which carries ears 7 with a plurality of longitudlnally spaced apertures which are designed tovregister with a slot 11 formed in strip 10 near the end which carries the lug 12. The end gf strip opposite to that which carries lug 12 has a longitudinally extending reduced tongue 9", `,the terminal of which is fitte bent to form a hook 9 which is passed through slot 91 and one of the apertures 8 1n the other strip 6 and thus securely connectsthe two strips together as is shown clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. After being 55 so arranged with the leather cup 20 between the strip. and the housing extension 3 the bolt 13 1s tightened up to draw the strips into clamping engagement with these parts and securely connect the leather washer to the housing in oil tight relation.

-The lnner' edge of the cup 20 is shaped as shown in Fig. 1 to form a ange Urshaped 1n cross section as shown at 21vand which is designed to fit in a seat 22 formed in the 65 outer face of an annular brass bushin or rin 23 which snugly fits around the axIe A an with which the ange 21 is secured by means of a tightly coiled spring 25.

A washer 25 is shown arranged between 70 the outer end of the roller-bearingf2and the hook-shaped flange 21 vof the leather cupshaped washer 2 A space 26 is left between the end of the housing on the inside of the leather packing cup to, accommodate wheels which pull up on the taper of the axle more than others.

The brass ring 23 is fitted tightly on the axle end and the grooved outer face thereof which forms a seat for the hookshaped por- 80 tion of the washer or packing cup permits the spring 24 to roll inward without coming oil? the ring. This groove or seat also takes up an lateral play inl the axle shaft and furnis es a wider j oint at this point.

In using this improved grease retainer when the shaft and rollers become worn the spring 24 is allowed to roll toward the short fiange of the packing cup and said lian e may pull up under the spring and provi e an oil tight joint at all times. I claim In combination with a vehicle axle, its housing and bearings supported within the housing, a bushing positioned on the axle and having a groove formed in its periphery,

a cu member `formed of flexible material over one end of the housing and secured thereto, said cup member havin an opening through which the'ax'le and bus ing 10" extend, the portion of the cug member about held in position, and a. coiled s ring posithe opening extending nwar l outwardly defining a spring-retainer, resting the cup member into engagement with the in the groove of the bushing, a, washer osibushing.

y and radially tioned in the spring retainer or holding 10 tioned on the axle and engaging the ear- In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as ings, said radially extended. ortion of the my own, Ihave hereto aixed my signature. cup member contacting wit the washer whereby the radially extended portion is WILLIAM L. TRAUTNER. 

